Mexico drug war

Women and Drug Crime

Women have become increasingly involved in drug traffic and related crimes. According to Damien Cave the number of “women incarcerated for federal crimes has grown by 400 per cent since 2007, pushing the total female prison population past 10.000”. Frequently, media report women involved in greater variety of roles within the drug trade rather than the stereotypical mules or capo’s wife.

    Vicente Fox says that the drugs war is failing his country

    The former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, is the latest high-profile figure to call for an end to the ‘war on drugs’, which he now considers to be a brutally misguided and expensive failure.

    Fox (who was himself a strong supporter of the aggressive US-led campaign against drugs when he was in power from 2002 to 2006) last month publicly advocated the legalization of drugs as a way to limit the gang violence that has devastated many parts of Mexico.

      The impact on Mexican women

      Journalists in Mexico are resorting to increasingly extreme methods to avoid torture, kidnap and murder for reporting on drug crime and cartel warfare. Reporters at Mexico’s largest newspaper chain, Grupo Reforma, have taken to wearing bullet proof vests, while many are moving to high rise apartment blocks to reduce the risk of being kidnapped. Reporters are also posing as street vendors to maintain life-preserving anonymity when reporting at the scene of an incident and using social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to publish their stories. 

        Mexican President Opens Debate over Drug Legalization due to Country's High Murder Rate

        The Mexican President Felipe Calderon said today that he would consider a debate on legalizing drugs following the announcement that there have been more than 28,000 drug-related deaths in Mexico since 2006. “It’s a fundamental debate in which I think, first of all, you must allow a democratic plurality (of opinions),” said Calderon.

          Kill the Zetas

          Mexico’s drug cartels have turned against the Zetas - a ruthless group of military deserters turned drug traffickers – and are vowing to kill them one by one. The Zetas were founded by members of the Mexican elite paratroop squadron (GAFE) as guns for hire used for protecting the market share of drug cartels with the brutal tactics they learnt in the military.

            Bowden on Mexico's Drug War

            Charles Bowden, author of "Murder City: Ciudad Juarez and the Global Economy's New Killing Fields" on Mexico's drug war:

            "Realize the war on drugs is a disaster. It's forty years in. We're at war with our own people. We're destroying nations like Mexico. If you're against drugs, most of your viewers and listeners are on them, only they got them from their doctor.

            If you're against drugs, this is a public health issue. You don't send a cop if you're having a cardiac."

              Saint Prisoner Reforming Delinquents

              Submitted by Simha Bode on Sat, 27/03/2010 - 10:55

              This is a translation of a very touching letter Laura wrote. Laura moved to Mexico to care for Lalo when he was in the jail in Coatzacoalcos. Now that Lalo has been transferred to the Islas Marias Prison (an Island prison colony on the pacific coast of Mexico). Laura continues her work in Coatzacoalcos prison, keeping close contact with Lalo, sending him what he needs, relaying messages etc.

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